Over 50 years ago, among the first talent to gain public consciousness through this new fangled media was Carroll Levis Discoveries (1957). Apart from setting a precedent as ITV’s talent show, it set a further one by having a Canadian presenter (a feat later repeated on Opportunity Knocks). Launched in 1957 it often topped the ratings, knocking Sunday Night at the London Palladium of its top spot. The programme had transferred over to television from radio and hitherto enjoyed proven success with the latter media form. UK Television Talent Shows Through the Ages: The Not So Perfect Ten

1960: Live: The Institute, Neston, Wirral

The Silver Beetles’ second of six Thursday night shows at this venue in the Merseyside town of Neston. Each of the Institute concerts were organised by Allan Williams, and were promoted by Les Dodd’s Paramount Enterprises.Beatles Bible

The Beatles’ 69th evening show at the Cavern Club took place on this date. It was a “Beatles Welcome Home Show” following their third Hamburg residency, which spanned seven weeks at the Star-Club in April and May. Beatles BibleFor the next 12 days the Cavern Club had The Beatles under exclusive contract. 1

The last date in the Roy Orbison package tour begun in Slough on 18 May. 1

1964: Live: Princess Theatre, Kowloon, Hong Kong

The Beatles gave two concerts at the Princess Theatre at 130 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, in the Kowloon region of Hong Kong. The support act was The Maori Hi-Five.“In Hong Kong, the paper said, ‘The Beatles fought a losing battle against the screams.’ Compared with other audiences, they were quiet.” John Lennon, 1964, AnthologyThe venue held 1,700 seats, although neither concert was a sell-out. Beatlemania had reached Hong Kong, but the promoter’s decision to charge HK $75 – the equivalent to an average week’s wage at the time – meant many of The Beatles’ fans were unable to see them perform.“Hong Kong was a slightly flat performance in a smallish place. They behaved themselves, and it looked like a khaki audience. We played, but I don’t think we enjoyed the show too much – although at least we could be heard.”Paul McCartney, AnthologyThe Beatles did no sightseeing during their stay in Hong Kong, believing the fans’ attentions may prove too dangerous. The following day they flew from Kai Tak airport to Sydney, Australia. On 3 October 1970 the Princess Theatre was sold to a Hong Kong hotel group. It was closed in March 1973 and a hotel was built on the site. Beatles Bible

These pictures are from an earlier meeting with the presidents of the Hong Kong fan club. George seems to have brought the party down.

1965: The KRLA Beat for this date featured many articles on The Beatles, including an exclusive preview of the soon to be released album “Beatles IV”.Along with The Beatles there are articles on The Kinks, The Byrds and many more. Lots of fun to read!

1966: Recording, mixing: Good Day SunshineThe recording of Good Day Sunshine, which had begun on the previous day, was completed on this day during an afternoon session. More: Beatles Bible

1967: Editing, mixing: You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)

The five discrete parts of You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) were edited together during this session into a single take. The final edit was numbered take 30, and consisted of take nine of part one, take 12 of part two, take four of part three, take six of part four, and take one of part five. All but the first part had been recorded in the previous day’s session. At the end of this session a rough mono mix was made so that acetate discs could be cut for reference. The final edit lasted 6’08″ and featured no vocals; these were added on 30 April 1969.Beatles Bible

"With that done, John sat down "cross-legged on his amplifier", strumming a fretless guitar, and bantered amusingly with BBC Radio's Kenny Everett. When they had finished overdubbing, the other Beatles joined the fun, playing and singing impromptu jingles for Kenny. An abbreviated version of this recording, overlaid with sound effects, was heard on The Kenny Everett Show June 9th. A longer edit was released on a promotional Apple single, Una Sensazionale Intervista con I Beatles." Contra Band Music

Although The Beatles’ UK tour with Roy Orbison had finished the previous night, the group was back on the road on this day, with a concert in the Georgian city of Bath, England. This was The Beatles’ only concert in Bath. Also on the bill were The Colin Anthony Combo and Chet & The Triumphs. Beatles Bible

Paul is shown listening earnestly to his transistor radio. The Beatles stayed at the Francis Hotel and played at the Pavilion on Monday 10th June 1963. They were supported by The Colin Anthony Combo and Chet and the Triumphs.

I can’t find any details about this image that looks like a scrapbook page, other than the fact that it’s from the Bath date. I’d love to know who took the pictures and if this was captioned then or years later.

Travel:On June 9th 1964, the Beatles performed two shows at the Princess Theatre in Kowloon Hong Kong. The next day on the 10th, the group and their entourage hopped a flight to Sydney Australia. Accompanying the Beatles on this plane trip was Australian disc jockey Bob Rogers, who would travel with them on the Australasian leg of the tour. Bob Rogers took the opportunity in Hong Kong to record a chat with John and George, followed by a conversation with Paul, at Kaitak Airport on June 10th while awaiting their departure to Sydney. The Beatles discuss Hong Kong and all things Australian with Rogers as they look forward to their arrival down under.- Jay Spangler, www.beatlesinterviews.org

The Beatles’ 12th Parlophone single was their lowest-seller since Love Me Do. Paperback Writer single - United Kingdom Paperback Writer was The Beatles’ first single not to be a love song, and although the subject matter may not have been a significant hit with the public, it showcased their growing maturity as songwriters. Paul McCartney created the fictional tale of an aspiring writer, and with the rest of the group created a bluesy, bass-driven sound that was quite unlike any of their previous singles. Its b-side, Rain was perhaps even more ambitious. Written by John Lennon, it was inspired by LSD and the feelings of introspection it inspired, and boasted a coda featuring – for the first time on a Beatles record – backwards vocals. The single was released as Parlophone R5452, and entered the UK singles charts on 16 June 1966. One week later it reached the number one spot, where it remained for a second week. In all it spent 11 weeks on the charts. Beatles Bible

1968: George Harrison films a scene for Ravi Shankar’s Raga

Harrison’s scenes were filmed on this and the following day, at a country retreat overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Big Sur, San Francisco. The first day involved Harrison being filmed learning a new raga from Shankar, and sitting on grass with a view of the ocean. The scene was not rehearsed, and no dialogue was prepared. Harrison and Shankar spoke and played while cameras shot around 30 minutes of footage. Beatles Bible

“Never before had any of The Beatles left the country while group recordings were in progress. Yet-although some sessions were cancelled (7 and also 12-14 June)-when George and Ringo went to the USA from 7 to 18 June, work continued.…the film (was) accompanied by an Apple soundtrack produced by George. 1

Yoko Ono‘s appearance on the long-running BBC radio series Desert Island Discs was first broadcast on this day. Ono was interviewed by the show’s host, Kirsty Young, and chose the eight records, luxury item and book she would take if stranded as a castaway on a desert island. Beatles Bible

One of her eight records and the one she would keep if it she had only one choice:

This was The Silver Beetles’* third concert at the Grosvenor Ballroom within a week, and one that didn’t pass without incident. More:Beatles Bible

That would be the Ronnie Incident.

*They may have been The Beatles by then. This blog post asserts that they were, in print:

“Fellow Beatles fan Robin Bird said: Historians have said the Silver Beetles changed their name to the Beatles when they left for Hamburg on August 16, 1960 starting a new chapter in their amazing musical career. However, from the old cuttings it is apparent the band changed their name before that date when they played at the Grosvenor Ballroom.” Wog Blog

In his book Tune In, Mark Lewisohn claims it was officially changed even before this date: “It was in this time frame (May 18-19 1960, just before the Johnny Gentle tour), that the name evolved once more, when the Silver was dropped and they became the Beatles unadorned. While Stu (Sutcliffe) held out for the Beatals just a little longer, and Allan Williams continued to call them the Silver Beetles (and advertise them this way) well into the summer they were, clean and clear, the Beatles. page 307

So what about these cuttings? I would like to see these things but I can’t seem to find them on the Internet, just mention of them, like in the article that prompted the blog post: Beatles named and dated

At any rate, Allan Williams seems to have been well known for not getting the name right. Who can blame him though, when it changed so many times?

The Beatles’ second radio appearance took place on this day, on the BBC show Teenager’s Turn – Here We Go. The recording took place at the Playhouse Theatre in Manchester. The Beatles took part in rehearsals from 4pm, and the show was taped from 8.45-9.30pm. This edition of Teenager’s Turn – Here We Go was broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on Friday 15 June from 5-5.30pm. The Beatles performed three songs before a studio audience: Ask Me Why, Besame Mucho and A Picture Of You. Ask Me Why was therefore the first Lennon-McCartney song to be broadcast. Beatles Bible

The Beatles flew from Hong Kong to Sydney, stopping en route in Darwin to allow their aeroplane to refuel. Although it was an unscheduled stop, 400 fans were waiting as they landed in Darwin at 2.35am. Although they were unable to leave their hotel, in the evening The Beatles gave a series of interviews, press conferences and photography sessions, and met a number of concert promoters and local dignitaries. Also on this day, Ringo Starr was discharged from University College Hospital, London, allowing him to fly to Australia to rejoin the group.More here:Beatles Bible

Dick Lean, managing director of Stadiums Limited, would later remember about the Sydney press conference: "They were just brilliant, under any circumstance. They handled the press with a sharp reparte that we'd just never seen before." The Beatles had once again charmed the all-important press. An editorial in Sydney's Sun newspaper proclaimed: "Their press conference showed that teenagers are not necessarily fools when it comes to picking winners. One cannot 'ready' a press conference. Questions are asked and answered off the cuff very quickly... they showed considerable insight into the secret of their own success." Jay Spangler, www.beatlesinterviews

Peter Cox was seven on June 11 of 1964, and remembers watching TV footage of the Beatles arriving in Sydney, in the pouring rain. “In those days there was no breakfast television, but Channels 7 and 9 had cameras at the airport; it was a television event,” he smiles.More here

1965: The Beatles to be awarded MBEs

Brian Epstein requested that Paul McCartney and Jane Asher return from their Portuguese holiday a day early, so all The Beatles could be in Britain on the day it was announced that they would be awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire. More:Beatles Bible

1968: Recording, mixing: Blackbird, Revolution 9

George Harrison and Ringo Starr were both in America on this day, but John Lennon and Paul McCartney made the most of the studio block-booking throughout June to continue work on the White Album.

A film crew from Apple, directed by Tony Bramwell, was present during the session, ostensibly to make a 10-minute promotional short for the company. Recorded onto 16mm film, the footage captured McCartney working on Blackbird and Helter Skelter on an acoustic guitar, as well as various other scenes from inside the studio, in the Apple Boutique, Apple Tailoring, McCartney’s garden and other locations. Other people featured in the promo, which was simply titled Apple, included Lennon, Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Dick James, Alexis Mardas and NEMS’s Alistair Taylor.

Fortunately, the sound recordist also made a 41-minute tape of McCartney rehearsing Blackbird, from which we can see the song take shape. McCartney continues recording, and eventually manages a full take. His fourth attempt from this time was released on 1996′s Anthology 3. Thirty-two takes of Blackbird were recorded during this session, just 11 of which were complete.More:Beatles Bible

Paul McCartney and Mary Hopkin are filmed for Apple Records

At EMI Studios on this day, Paul McCartney was filmed with Apple Records’ new signing Mary Hopkin, as part of a promotional film for the label. More: Beatles Bible

Meanwhile, back in California, ….George and Ravi Shankar returned to the previous Big Sur location and were filmed participating in a teach-in and chatting as they walked together along the cliff-top. 1

Sorry I've fallen so far behind on what I said I was going to do. I will get back to it but in the meantime I want to share this episode of Top Gear which was recorded on July 14, 1964 and premiered 50 years ago today. It was the first episode of the program and one of only two featuring The Beatles. I think it's one of the most gear BBC Beatles appearances ever, especially the trailers at the beginning.